Ayin, My Illiterate Maid

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Elena
I have learned Chinese for several years. I changed more than 3 teachers. I need a systemic and efficient studying. And I want to know more about china , Chinese and Chinese culture. Then my friend introduced me Mandarin Garden. What the teacher there gav

Alicia
Through the Chinese culture activities, I make many friends from all over the world. I learnt how to make dumplings, rice dumplings and flower arrangement. I like the activities of Mandarin Garden. They enriched my life in Shanghai.

Conni
I am glad to study in Mandarin Garden. My teacher is very nice and helpful, and the staff of the school is nice to me. I love Chinese and I love to learn Chinese. It’s very practical. I will try to learn it well.

Pierre
Mandarin Garden is a great place to get to know Chinese culture and to learn Chinese.They offer plenty of activities for an even profounder knowledge.The atmosphere is professional and at the same time relaxed.

Niels
I don’t like studying in a boring class. i wish my teacher can always be passionate and push me to study further. In Mandarin Garden, I found the right teacher for me and now I enjoy my class very much. Thanks a lot.

Tomas
I have compared several schools before my decision. I want to learn Chinese well and I also like to know Chinese culture. And I think the attitude of the teacher, the consultant here are all very positive. I like to stay with them and get the care from th

Ayin, My Illiterate Maid

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Ayin was my charming Taiwanese maid. She had worked in Borneo for awhile so she spoke a little bit of English.

She was Taiwanese and her mandarin was passable. She always told me she was illiterate. Ayin was a good 15 years

older than I and had worked for many diplomats in the past. She was a wonderful asset due to her experience and her

good nature. We did a lot of entertaining at home as our budget was not large enough to reciprocate the wonderful meals

to which we had been invited. I would could western. At the time the western restaurants were very expensive and had

much to be desired. I established notoriety for all the exotic western meals that I cooked. As Ayin had worked for American

Diplomats in the past she also had a whole lot of western recipes that I didn’t have. Between the two of us we would cook

up meals for about 30 people once a week. At first I tried to have sit down dinners but I found my guests were too uncomfortable

using knives and forks. They never knew which one to use when. To take away the awkwardness I started serving buffets. I

also tried to have some entertainment be it western musician or Chinese traditional music before as it gave people a common

topic to talk about. Ayin always told me she was illiterate so I never asked her to read anything for me. I was almost illiterate

also in Chinese that is. One day I asked her to make one of my favorite desserts which was a lemon custard pie in puff pastry.

As I was preparing the dishes I knew how to make I looked over and there was Ayin reading the recipe in Chinese Characters.

She had found that if she said she was illiterate her work load was less. She was right. After that I depended on her to read

signs etc for me when we went shopping!